After announcing on Tuesday the return of filmmaker J.J. Abrams to the franchise, Walt Disney Co delayed the release of the ninth installment of the “Star Wars” saga to Dec. 20, 2019. Abrams will write and direct the movie.Disney pushed back “Star Wars: Episode IX” from its initial May 2019 release date after Abrams replaced filmmaker Colin Trevorrow. Trevorrow parted ways with Disney last week citing differing creative visions with the studio.Abrams launched Disney’s reboot of the “Star Wars” franchise with 2015’s box office hit “The Force Awakens." That film reunited original 1977 stars Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill. It introduced a new generation of characters. The film made more than $2 billion at the global box office.